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Medieval Paris as capital
Paris gradually became the political center of the Kingdom of France from the Capetian dynasty onward, centered on the Île de la Cité in the Seine an…
Timeline
- c. 987–1100Royal palace, Île de la Cité, Paris · ParisAfter his coronation, Hugh Capet resided long in Paris; the royal palace on the Île de la Cité and the predecessor church of Notre-Dame became symbols of royal power, and Paris gradually surpassed Reims and other cities as the core seat of Capetian rule.
- c. 1150–1170Notre-Dame construction site, Paris · ParisThe city expanded from the Île de la Cité to both banks of the Seine; construction of Notre-Dame began in 1163, university quarters and merchant communities arose, and Paris's reputation as a religious and scholarly center spread across Europe.
- c. 1171–1180Paris · ParisPhilip II was about to accede to the throne and begin strengthening royal power, planning the Louvre fortress and the expansion of the city walls; Paris's status as the Capetian capital was further consolidated, laying the foundation for French centralization in the thirteenth century.
Sources
- Paris: Biography of a City — Colin Jones (2004)
- Histoire de la ville de Paris — Félibien et al. (1725)